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Espinosa could return Wednesday vs. O's

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Espinosa hit by pitch 1:16

4/14/13: Danny Espinosa takes a pitch from Paul Maholm off his hand which results in a broken bone

By Bill Ladson and Tom Schad
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MLB.com |

WASHINGTON -- Nationals second baseman Danny Espinosa completed his regular pregame workout Tuesday and said that his fractured right wrist feels all right. Manager Davey Johnson said that if the wrist doesn't swell overnight, Espinosa could play Wednesday against the Orioles.

Espinosa has missed the past four games but told Johnson during Monday's game that he could pinch-hit or pinch-run if needed.

"Is it going to be 100 percent? No. I think we all know it's not going to be 100 percent for the rest of the year, because there's no casting or surgery they can do to make it 100 percent," Espinosa said. "It's just a time thing. But it does feel better. The biggest thing we were concerned about is the inflammation, and the inflammation's down."

Espinosa said the strength in his hand is fine but that he feels a constant clicking in his wrist when hitting. He has repeatedly said that his wrist does not feel 100 percent healthy, but that it has felt better over the past two days. He added that the torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder "feels great" and is not giving him any problems.

The 26-year-old played through the shoulder injury late last season and did not know about the bone chip in his wrist until more than five weeks after he was hit by a pitch against the Braves on April 14. On Tuesday, Espinosa said that he is struggling to gauge levels of pain.

"Am I supposed to feel much better than it does? How good am I supposed to feel?" he said. "I think everyone thought that I knew my shoulder was torn, and I had no idea. And then this is the same thing. I didn't know my wrist was broken and I'm tolerating. I thought it was a bone bruise."